An Village Profile

Prepared by

The Applied Research Institute –

Funded by

Spanish Cooperation

2012

Palestinian Localities Study Jerusalem Governorate

Acknowledgments

ARIJ hereby expresses its deep gratitude to the Spanish agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) for their funding of this project.

ARIJ is grateful to the Palestinian officials in the ministries, municipalities, joint services councils, village committees and councils, and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) for their assistance and cooperation with the project team members during the data collection process.

ARIJ also thanks all the staff who worked throughout the past couple of years towards the accomplishment of this work.

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Background

This report is part of a series of booklets, which contain compiled information about each city, village, and town in the Jerusalem Governorate. These booklets came as a result of a comprehensive study of all villages in Jerusalem Governorate, which aims at depicting the overall living conditions in the governorate and presenting developmental plans to assist in developing the livelihood of the population in the area. It was accomplished through the "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment;" the project funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID).

The "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment" was designed to study, investigate, analyze and document the socio-economic conditions and the needed programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current unsecure political, economic and social conditions in the Jerusalem Governorate.

The project's objectives are to survey, analyze, and document the available natural, human, socioeconomic and environmental resources, and the existing limitations and needs assessment for the development of the rural and marginalized areas in the Jerusalem Governorate. In addition, the project aims at preparing strategic developmental programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current political, social, and economic instability with the focus on the agricultural sector.

All village profiles in and English are available online at http://vprofile.arij.org.

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Table of Content

Location and Physical Characteristics ...... 4

History ...... 5

Religious and Archaeological Sites ...... 5

Population ...... 5

Education ...... 6

Health Status ...... 7

Economic Activities ...... 7

Agricultural Sector ...... 9

Institutions and Services ...... 11

Infrastructure and Natural Resources ...... 11

Impact of the Israeli Occupation ...... 14

Development Plans and Projects ...... 19

Village Development Priorities and Needs ...... 20

References ...... 21

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An Nabi Samwil Village Profile

Location and Physical Characteristics

An Nabi Samwil is a Palestinian village in Jerusalem Governorate located (horizontally) 7.6km north- west of Jerusalem City. It is bordered by al Balad village and lands to the east, village to the north, village lands to the west, and Beit Iksa village to the south (ARIJ- GIS Unit, 2012) (See map 1).

Map 1: An Nabi Samwil location and borders

Source: ARIJ - GIS Unit, 2012

An Nabi Samwil is located at an altitude of 859m above sea level with a mean annual rainfall of 582.3mm. The average annual temperature is 16 oC and the average annual humidity is approximately 60.4% (ARIJ-GIS Unit, 2012).

Since 1995, An Nabi Samwil has been governed by a village council which is currently administrated by 7 members appointed by the Palestinian National Authority. The Village Council does not own a

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permanent headquarters or a vehicle for the collection of solid waste, but it possesses a tractor and a bus (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

It is the responsibility of the Village Council to provide a number of services to the residents of An Nabi Samwil, including (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010):

1. Establishing and maintaining the drinking water network. 2. Solid waste collection and social development services. 3. Providing means of transportation.

History

The village is believed to be built over the Canaanite village “Masfat”. The name of the village of An Nabi Samwil (Prophet ) was named after the prophet Samuel who lived and was buried in it (Al Dabbagh, 1991).

The village dates back to the Salah ad Din era; its residents are descended from the original Jordanian inhabitants (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Religious and Archaeological Sites

There is one in the village, the village mosque which was constructed during the Salah ad Din era. In terms of sites of archaeological interest, the village has some ancient Roman remains (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010). Additionally, there is a mosque that was originally a church for crusaders, the remains of a fortified yard, a reservoir curved in rocks, and tombs (Al Dabbagh, 1991).

Population

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the total population of An Nabi Samwil in 2007 was 233, of whom 123 were male and 110 female. There were 43 households living in 41 housing units.

Age Groups and Gender

The General Census of Population and Housing carried out by PCBS in 2007 showed the distribution of age groups in An Nabi Samwil was as follows: 38.2% were less than 15 years old, 54.5% between 15 - 64 years of age, and 2.1% aged 65 or older. Data additionally showed that the sex ratio of males to females in the village is 111.8:100, meaning that males and females constituted 52.8% and 47.2% of the population respectively.

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Families

An Nabi Samwil residents are from several families, mainly the Barakat, Al 'Abed, 'Obeid, Kasawnah and 'Abd al Latif families (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Immigration

According to the field survey conducted by ARIJ approximately 17 families, around 100 people in total, have left the village since Al Aqsa Intifada in 2000 (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Education

According to the results of the PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census (2007), the illiteracy rate amongst the An Nabi Samwil population was approximately 8.7%, of whom 78.6% were females. Of the literate population, 11.3% could only read and write with no formal education, 24.4% had elementary education, 40.6% had preparatory education, 6.9% had secondary education, and 8% completed higher education. Table 1 shows the educational level in the village of An Nabi Samwil by sex and educational attainment in 2007.

Table 1: An Nabi Samwil population (10 years of age and above) by sex and educational attainment, 2007 Can S Illite- read Elem- Prepa- Second- Associate Bach- Higher Un- E Master PhD Total rate & entary ratory ary Diploma elor Diploma known x write M 3 6 24 44 6 2 1 - 1 - - 87 F 11 12 15 21 5 6 3 - - - - 73 T 14 18 39 65 11 8 4 - 1 - - 160 Source: PCBS, 2009.

There is one public school in the village run by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), An Nabi Samwil Co-educated Elementary School, but there are no kindergartens in the village (Directorate of Education in Jerusalem, 2011).

In the village there are 8 students, 3 teachers, and one class (Directorate of Education in Jerusalem, 2011).

An Nabi Samwil School faces difficulties due to the Israeli occupation, primarily that the Israeli state has prevented the construction of new classrooms (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

As the village school offers only elementary education, students attend neighboring villages' schools, including Ibn Khaldoon Preparatory, Elementary and Secondary Schools in Al Jib village, and Fatima az

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Zahra' School, Al Jib. These schools are approximately 8km from An Nabi Samwil (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

The educational sector in An Nabi Samwil village faces some obstacles, mainly:

1. The fact that the only school in the village has only one classroom. 2. The school lacks appropriate and sanitary bathrooms. 3. The difficulties experienced by teachers in accessing the village.

Health Status

There are no health centers available in An Nabi Samwil village. Therefore patients are sent to the neighboring villages' health centers and clinics, including the Medical Relief and Al Carmel Center in Biddu town, approximately 10km from the village (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

The health sector in the village has many problems, principally the lack of any health services in the village and the lack of an ambulance (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010):

Economic Activities

The economy in An Nabi Samwil is dependent on several economic sectors, mainly the agriculture sector, which absorbs 50% of the workforce (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010) (See Figure 1).

A field survey conducted by ARIJ in 2010 showed that the distribution of labor by economic activity in An Nabi Samwil is as follows:

 Agriculture sector (50%)  Services sector (20%)  Government or private employees sector (20%)  Israeli labor market (5%)  Industry (4%)  Trade sector (1%)

In terms of commercial and industrial productions in An Nabi Samwil, there are 2 grocery stores in the village (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

The unemployment rate in An Nabi Samwil has reached around 60%, and it was found that the social groups most affected in the village as a result of Israeli restrictions and procedures are (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010):

1. Former workers in . 2. Workers in the services sector. 3. Workers in the agriculture sector.

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Figure 1: Economic activity in An Nabi Samwil village

Source: An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010

Labor Force

According to the PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census (2007), 38.8% of An Nabi Samwil’s labor force was economically active, of whom 80.6% were employed, and 61.3% were not economically active of whom 44.9% were students and 40.8% were housekeepers (See Table 2).

Table 2: An Nabi Samwil population (10 years of age and above) by sex and employment status- 2007

Economically Active Not Economically Active

S Un- E Currently Un- Not Emp- Un- employed Stud- House- Unable working & known X Total Other Total loyed employed (Never ents keeping to work Not looking Total worked) for work M 41 - 11 52 25 - 7 3 - 35 - 87 F 9 - 1 10 19 40 4 - - 63 - 73 T 50 - 12 62 44 40 11 3 - 98 - 160 Source: PCBS, 2009.

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Agricultural Sector

An Nabi Samwil has a total area of around 2,260 dunums of which 732 are considered ‘arable’ land,and 18 dunums are registered as ‘residential’ (See Table 3 and Map 2).

Table 3: Land use and land cover in An Nabi Samwil village in 2010 (area in dunum) Area of Agricultural area Area of Built Settlements, Total (732) Inland Open Industrial, up Forests Military Area water Spaces Commercial & Area Permanent Green- Range- Arable Bases & Transport Unit Crops houses lands lands Wall Zone 2,260 18 110 0 81 541 0 670 463 10 367 Source: ARIJ – GIS Unit, 2012.

Map 2: Land use/land cover in An Nabi Samwil village

Source: ARIJ - GIS Unit, 2012

Table 4 shows the different types of fruit trees planted in the area. An Nabi Samwil village is known for the cultivation of figs; there are 100 dunums of land cultivated with fig trees.

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Table 4: Total area of fruit and olive trees in An Nabi Samwil village (dunum) Fruit trees Rainfed Irrigated Olives 82 0 Citrus 0 0 Stone-fruits 7 0 Pome fruits 13 0 Nuts 0 0 Other fruits 112 0 Total Area 214 0 Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture - Jerusalem, 2010

In terms of field crops and forage in An Nabi Samwil, cereals, particularly wheat and barley, are the most cultivated covering an area of about 10 dunums (See Table 5).

Table 5: Total area of field crops in An Nabi Samwil village (dunum) Fruit trees Rainfed Irrigated Cereals 10 0 Bulbs 0 0 Dry legumes 0 0 Oil crops 0 0 Forage crops 2 0 Stimulating crops 0 0 Other crops 0 0 Total Area 12 0 Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture - Jerusalem, 2010

The difference between the two sets of results obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and by ARIJ’s GIS Unit in sizes of agricultural areas is explained by the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (2010) conducted a survey which used a definition of agricultural areas based on land ownership. Therefore, the areas included in the survey were those of actual holdings of agricultural areas instead of seasonal ones. The survey did not consider fragmented and small seasonal cultivated areas in residential and agricultural areas. ARIJ’s survey, however, indicated the existence of a high proportion of small and fragmented holdings (home gardens) throughout the occupied , thus accounting for the larger area of agricultural holdings calculated by ARIJ.

The field survey conducted by ARIJ shows that 5% of the residents in An Nabi Samwil rear and keep domestic animals such as goats and sheep (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010) (See Table 6).

Table 6: Livestock in an Nabi Samwil village Bee Cows* Sheep Goats Camels Horses Donkeys Mules Broilers Layers Hives 0 500 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 *Including cows, bull calves, heifer calves and bulls Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture - Jerusalem, 2010

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There are also around 25 kilometers of agricultural roads in the village (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010), divided as follows:

Table 7: Agricultural roads in An Nabi Samwil village and their lengths Suitability of Agricultural Roads Length (km) For vehicles 15 For tractors and agricultural machinery only 5 For animals only 5 Unsuitable - Source: An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010

However, the agricultural sector in the village suffers some obstacles, mainly:

 The lack of capital.  The lack of economic feasibility.  The village residents are forbidden to construct houses or other buildings by the Israeli state.  The difficulties in transporting agricultural and animal materials into the village.  The lack of water sources.

Institutions and Services

An Nabi Samwil village has no governmental institutions, but a few local institutions and associations that provide services to various sectors of society. These include (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010):

 An Nabi Samwil Village Council: Founded in 1995 by the Ministry of Local Government with the goal of solving issues in the village and providing various services to its population. However, due to the village's location in area ‘C’, the Village Council is unable to provide all services.  Banat Baladna Charitable Society: Founded in 2010 by An Nabi Samwil village's women and is interested in all women's affairs and issues.  An Nabi Samwil Society: Founded in 2010 by An Nabi Samwil village's women and is concerned with women.

Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Electricity and Telecommunication Services

An Nabi Samwil has been connected to a public electricity network since 1981. It is served by Jerusalem Electricity Company, which is the main source of electricity in the village. Approximately 100% of the

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housing units in the village are connected to this network. However, the village residents faces some problems with the electricity supply, mainly (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010):

1. The high costs of electricity. 2. The citizens' lack of commitment in paying the bills, which leads to cut-offs for citizens and financial difficulties for the council. 3. An Nabi Samwil is connected to a telecommunication network and approximately 40% of the housing units within the village boundaries are connected to phone lines (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Transportation Services

A public bus considered forms the main means of transportation in An Nabi Samwil village (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010). As for the road network in the village; there are 2km of ‘secondary’ roads that are unpaved (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Water Resources

An Nabi Samwil is provided with water by the Water Department through the public water network established in 1992. Approximately 100% of the housing units are connected to this network (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010). The quantity of water supplied to An Nabi Samwil in 2010 was approximately 6,000 cups/ year. Therefore, the average rate of water supply per capita in An Nabi Samwil is 64 liters per day (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010). However no citizen of An Nabi Samwil in fact consumes this amount of water due to water losses, which are recorded at around 40%. These losses happen at the main source, major transport lines, in the distribution network, and at the household level, thus the rate of water consumption per capita in An Nabi Samwil is 38 liters per day. The rate experienced by An Nabi Samwil residents is low compared with the minimum quantity of 100 liters per capita per day proposed by the World Health Organization (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Domestic harvesting cisterns and springs form an alternative resource of water in the village. Located in the village are 4 harvesting cisterns and 6 water springs. Two of these are public: Al Balad spring (currently dry) and Al Amir spring, The other 4 springs are privately owned: Al Bass, Al Qayoon, At Tawalah, and Hamadah springs; however, the water of the last three springs is shallow. The village also has a water reservoir with a capacity of 50 cubic meters (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Sanitation

An Nabi Samwil lacks a public sewerage network with most of the village residents using cesspits as their main means of wastewater disposal (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Based on the estimated daily per capita water consumption, the estimated amount of wastewater generated per day is approximately 8 cubic meters or 2,880 cubic meters annually. At the individual

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level in the village, it is estimated that the per capita wastewater generation is 31 liters per day, depending on the consumption rate. The wastewater collected by cesspits is discharged by wastewater tankers directly to open areas or nearby valleys with no concern for the environment. There is no wastewater treatment either at the source or at the disposal sites and this poses a serious threat to both environmental and public health (ARIJ-WERU, 2012).

Solid Waste Management

The Joint Services Council for Development and Planning of north-west Jerusalem (A) is responsible for managing the collection and disposal of solid waste generated by the citizens and establishments in the village. As the process of solid waste management is costly, a monthly fee (around 500 NIS/year) has been charged to the population served by domestic solid waste collection and transportation services (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Most of the population in An Nabi Samwil benefits from the solid waste services, whereby waste is collected from households, institutions, shops, and public squares in plastic bags and then transferred to 8 containers1 distributed throughout the village. The Joint Council collects the solid waste once a week and then transports it using a waste vehicle to Municipality dumping site, located 15km outside of the village, where it is buried (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

The daily per capita rate of solid waste production in An Nabi Samwil is 0.7kg. Thus the estimated amount of solid waste produced per day from An Nabi Samwil residents is nearly 0.2 tons or 66 tons per year (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Environmental Conditions

Like other villages and camps in the Governorate, An Nabi Samwil experiences several environmental problems which must be addressed and solved. These problems can be identified as follows:

Water Crisis

 Water is cut off by the West Bank Water Department for long periods of time in several neighborhoods in summer.  High rate of water losses because the water network is old and in need of rehabilitation and renovation.

Wastewater Management

 The absence of a public sewage network means that An Nabi Samwil residents are forced to use unhygienic cesspits for the disposal of wastewater, and/or discharge wastewater in the streets. This is particularly common in winter, as citizens cannot afford the high cost of sewage tankers during this period. These methods facilitate environmental damage, health problems, and the spread of epidemics and diseases in the village. This wastewater also contaminates the

1 Each with a capacity of 1.5m³

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groundwater because most cesspits are built without lining, allowing wastewater to enter into the ground and avoiding the need to use sewage tankers. Additionally, the untreated wastewater collected from cesspits by sewage tankers is disposed of in open areas with no concern for the damage it causes to the environment and to residents' health.

Solid Waste Management

 The lack of a central sanitary landfill to serve An Nabi Samwil and the other communities in the governorate is due mainly to the obstacles created by the Israeli authorities for local and national institutions in granting licenses to establish such a landfill, because the appropriate land is within and under Israeli control. Nevertheless, Ramallah Municipality, in cooperation with Al Bireh and Beituniya Municipalities, is seeking to establish a regional landfill in accordance with approved international standards. However, the project faces many obstacles, including (Ramallah Municipality, 2011): 1. Problems related to purchasing and acquisition of land for technical ownership reasons. 2. Lack of needed funding for the purchase of land, despite a formal commitment from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance to cover the price of lands. 3. The inability to acquire approved lands due to their location in area C according to the Oslo agreement.

 There is no system in the village and the governorate to separate hazardous waste from non- hazardous waste, so hazardous and industrial solid waste are collected with non-hazardous waste and transported to Ramallah Municpality landfill for disposal by burning.

Impact of the Israeli Occupation

Geopolitical Status of An Nabi Samwil Village

According to the Oslo II Interim Agreement signed on 28th September 1995 between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, all lands of An Nabi Samwil village (2,261 dunums) were classified as area ‘C’, where Israel retains full control over security and administration. In area ‘C’ Palestinian building and land management is prohibited unless through a permit given by the Israeli Civil Administration. Most of the lands lying within area ‘C’ are agricultural lands and lands confiscated by Israeli settlements.

An Nabi Samwil Village and the Israeli Occupation Practices

An Nabi Samwil village has had land confiscated for various Israeli purposes, including the construction of Israeli settlements on the village territories and the construction of the Segregation Wall. Below is a breakdown of the Israeli confiscations of An Nabi Samwil village territories:

During the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, the Israeli government has confiscated 467 dunums of land from An Nabi Samwil village to establish the Israeli settlements of Har Shamual and Neve Shamual. A number of settlements surround the village from several sides; these are part of the

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Giv'at Ze'ev settlement bloc, including Ramot settlement to the south and Givon and Giv'on HaHadasha settlements to the north (Table 8).

Table 8: Israeli Settlements constructed over An Nabi Samwil lands Area confiscated Year of Population of Settlement Name from An Nabi construction settlers Samwil (dunums) Har Shamual 1996 331 500 Neve Shamual 1996 136 N/A Total 467 500 Source: ARIJ-GIS Unit, 2012

Israel has also confiscated land from An Nabi Samwil village to construct bypass road 436 to connect Israeli settlements surrounding the village with Jerusalem city and Israeli cities in the occupied Palestinian territory. The real threat of the bypass roads lies in the area of the buffer zone drawn by the IOF along the road, which extends to 75m on each side.

Furthermore, An Nabi Samwil village has witnessed further seizure of its territories by force by Israeli settlers to establish the Israeli outpost of "Hiroti" to the east of the village. During the past two decades, Israel has constructed 232 such settlement sites in the West Bank, which became known as outposts. Outposts are centers of new settlements that usually begin by establishing mobile caravans on the site that was taken over by settlers; they are usually either branches of the mother settlement which is located few miles away from the outposts, or independent sites that later become settlements.

An Nabi Samwil Village and the Israeli Segregation Wall Plan

The Israeli Segregation Wall has had a negative and destructive impact on An Nabi Samwil Village. According to the latest amendment of the plan, published on the webpage of the Israeli Defense Ministry on 30th April, 2007, the Wall isolates An Nabi Samwil village from its surrounding Palestinian villages and includes it within the Giv'at Ze'ev settlement bloc. The isolated lands include Israeli settlements, agricultural, and open spaces (Table 9).

Table 9: The land classification of lands isolated by the Segregation Wall in An Nabi Samwil No. Land classification Area (dunums) 1 Agricultural areas 652 2 Open spaces 544 3 Israeli settlements 467 4 Forests 564 5 Palestinian residential areas 18 6 Wall zone 6 7 Construction area 10 Total 2261 Source: ARIJ-GIS Unit, 2012

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Suffering of in An Nabi Samwil Caused by the Construction of the Segregation Wall

According to the Segregation Wall plan published on the webpage of the Israeli Defense Ministry on 30th April 2007, the Wall isolates the village from neighboring Palestinian villages and towns, surrounding it and including it within the Giv'at Ze'ev settlement bloc. The village has been separated from Al Jib, Biddu, Beit Hanina al Balad and Beit Iksa localities, to which the village residents used to travel for educational, health and commercial services. This move has created a new socio-geographic reality for the village residents that will be difficult to reverse, as these policies have led to a high population and urbanization density in the village due to the lack of land for construction, as all of the village’s lands were classified within area ‘C’ where Israel retains full control over security and administration. Therefore, Palestinians living in the village must obtain building permits from the Israeli civil administration which is virtually impossible, particularly in areas near Israeli settlements. The residents of An Nabi Samwil village therefore have two choices: to keep living in the same houses and adapt to the situation caused by population growth, or to leave the village. Most young couples choose to leave the village in order to find a house where they can live independently. It is noteworthy that the entire population of An Nabi Samwil (about 250 people) lives in about 15 houses, some of which are made of metal sheets (tin), which means that every house contains around 17 individuals. An Nabi Samwil village has a high population density because of the continued population growth coupled with the absence of extended urbanization despite the abundance of lands.

Long tunnel to connect the north with the north-west of Jerusalem

After the construction of the Segregation Wall around the city of Jerusalem, many of the surrounding Palestinian communities were separated from the city. The Wall also separated Palestinian villages north of Jerusalem from those in the north-west through the annexation of the Giv'at Ze'ev settlement bloc, which prompted Israeli occupation authorities to establish a 1.5 km underground tunnel to link the north of Jerusalem city with the north-west, connecting the villages north of Jerusalem (about six villages) through Al Jib village with the north-west villages (about nine) through Biddu town. Palestinians must travel through this tunnel on a daily basis to reach north Jerusalem and Ramallah city (map 3).

Located between the northern and north-western villages, An Nabi Samwil village was closely linked with these communities. However, after Israeli occupation authorities cut off the linking road and constructed the underground tunnel, the residents of An Nabi Samwil village lost their main entrance to the village and their main means of travel. The only route to the village that remains open passes through the Israeli settlements.

The Steadfastness of An Nabi Samwil Village

Due to its historical and religious significance and its strategic location on one of the highest peaks in Jerusalem, An Nabi Samwil has been the target of various Israeli attempts to displace its residents. However, this village represents a symbol of Palestinian steadfastness in the face of the Israeli occupation. The village's religious significance is due to the Prophet Samuel shrine located in the village. The Israeli state believes that this place should be under full Israeli control as the place is part of

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the Prophet Samuel Mosque, 80% of which was confiscated by Israeli groups who have turned it into a under the custody of the Israeli occupation army.

In addition to the village’s isolation behind the Wall, the confiscation of its lands for the construction of settlements and the high population density, the Israeli occupation forces prevent any Palestinian not resident in the village from entering it. Occupation forces keep a list of villagers to sift through when they enter and exit through the military checkpoints at the village entrances, such as Ramot Settlement military checkpoint. To be on this list, villagers must obtain special permits which must be periodically renewed by Israeli Security Authorities. Moreover, the Israeli occupation authorities prevent the population restoring and expanding their homes, paving the roads, and constructing retaining walls and livestock pens. The village also suffers from high unemployment rates as the village youth cannot enter the city of Jerusalem to work. Additionally, the village lacks a number of services; there is no medical clinic or any other health facilities. The Israeli occupation authorities do not give students permits to study in schools in neighboring Palestinian villages on the pretext that they are underage.

According to B'Tselem, these policies have separated and isolated An Nabi Samwil village from the West Bank, which hampers the residents’ movements to and from the village. Israeli military checkpoints based on the road leading to the village prevent cars with Palestinian number plates from entering the village and only cars with Israeli number plates are allowed to enter, although the inhabitants of this village can only drive cars with Palestinian number plate. Therefore residents must enter and exit the village on foot, walking 1.5km between the Israeli checkpoint and the village. This is especially problematic for the sick and the elderly, children who travel to schools and kindergartens in the surrounding villages, and for transporting heavy goods (flour, feed, gas, etc.), which villagers must carry from the checkpoint to the village or rent a car with Israeli number plates to transport their goods at high cost.

Israeli Military Orders Issued in An Nabi Samwil Village

The Israeli occupation authorities have issued a set of military orders to confiscate lands in An Nabi Samwil village for various military purposes. These include:

1. 76/04/T: issued on 25th October 2004 to confiscate 264 dunums in An Nabi Samwil, Biddu, and Beit Iksa for the Segregation Wall construction. 2. Israeli military order 89/06/T: issued on 26th November 2006 to confiscate 560 dunums in An Nabi Samwil, Beit Surik and Beit Iksa for the Segregation Wall construction. 3. Israeli military order 86/06/T (extending order no. 2 and amendment of boundaries): issued on 8th December 2011 (extension to the order issued in 2006) to confiscate 456 dunums in An Nabi Samwil, Beit Surik and Beit Iksa for military purposes.

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Map 3: Long tunnel to connect the north with the north-west of Jerusalem

Source: ARIJ - GIS Unit, 2012

Development Plans and Projects

Implemented Projects

An Nabi Samwil village council has not implemented any development projects in An Nabi Samwil, during the past five years.

Proposed Projects

An Nabi Samwil Village Council, in cooperation with the civil society organizations in the village and the village residents, hopes to implement several projects in the coming years. The project ideas were developed during the PRA workshop conducted by ARIJ staff in the village. The projects are as follows, in order of priority from the perspectives of the participants in the workshop:

1. Implementing productive projects such as greenhouses and agricultural equipment. 2. Reclaiming agricultural lands and constructing agricultural roads. 3. Establishing health centers. 4. Improving the quality of agricultural seeds and seedlings. 5. Forming a board of directors. 6. Cultivating forest and pastoral trees in non-agricultural lands. 7. Establishing a college for applied science and agricultural studies.

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Village Development Priorities and Needs

An Nabi Samwil suffers from a significant shortage of infrastructure and services. Table 10 shows the development priorities and needs in the village according to the village council’s feedback (An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010).

Table 10: Development priorities and needs in An Nabi Samwil Strongly Not a No. Sector Needed Notes Needed Priority Infrastructural Needs 1 Opening and Pavement of Roads * 2km 2 Rehabilitation of Old Water Networks * 0.5km 3 Extending the Water Network to Cover New Built up * Areas 4 Construction of New Water Networks * 5 Rehabilitation/ Construction of New Wells or Springs * rehabilitating 5 cisterns 6 Construction of Water Reservoirs * 7 Construction of a Sewage Disposal Network * 13km 8 Construction of a New Electricity Network * 9 Providing Containers for Solid Waste Collection * 30 containers 10 Providing Vehicles for Collecting Solid Waste * 1 vehicle 11 Providing a Sanitary Landfill * Health Needs 1 Building of New Clinics or Health Care Centres * 1 health center 2 Rehabilitation of Old Clinics or Health Care Centres * 3 Purchasing of Medical Equipment and Tools * Educational Needs 1 Building of New Schools * all levels 2 Rehabilitation of Old Schools * constructing a building 3 Purchasing of New Equipment for Schools * Agriculture Needs 1 Rehabilitation of Agricultural Lands * 200 dunums 2 Building Rainwater Harvesting Cisterns * 30 cisterns 3 Construction of Barracks for Livestock * 4 Veterinary Services * 5 Seeds and Hay for Animals * 350 tons per year 6 Construction of New Greenhouses * 7 Rehabilitation of Greenhouses * 8 Field Crops Seeds * 9 Plants and Agricultural Supplies *  2km are sub roads Source: An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010.

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References

 Al Dabbagh, M. Our Country, ; Chapter 8, Part Two. Kafr Qari' – Palestine. Dar al Huda Press, 1991.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ), 2012. Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Unit Database. Bethlehem - Palestine.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ), 2012. Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Unit; Land Use Analysis (2010) – Half Meter High Accuracy. Bethlehem - Palestine.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ). 2012. Water & Environment Research Unit Database (WERU). Bethlehem - Palestine.  An Nabi Samwil Village Council, 2010.  Ministry of Education & Higher Education (MOHE) - Jerusalem, 2011. Directorate of Education; A database of schools (2010/2011). Jerusalem – Palestine.  Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2009. Jerusalem, Palestine: General Census of Population and Housing Censuses, 2007.  Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), 2010. Directorate of Agriculture data (2009/2010). Jerusalem - Palestine.  Ramallah Municipality (2011). Ramallah Municipality Website; Data Retrieved on the first of March, 2012. http://www.ramallah.ps/atemplate.aspx?id=1207.

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